James walber



@latten tstrsatwt @frn JAMES WALBER, OF WASHING'ION, DlSTRlOT OFCOLUMBIA Letters Patent No. 64,049, dated April 23, 1867,

IMPROVEMENT IN MAHINE FOR FELTING HAT-BODIES.'

' lite tlgnhirle referat tu in tiges tttu's lntnxt nu uniting put nfIlgc samt.

TO ALL `WHOM IT MAY CONCERNE l Beit known that I, JAMES WALBER, of thecity of Washington, and District of Columbia, have inventeda new andimproved Machine for Felting Hat-Bodies; and I. do hereby declare thatthe following is a-furll, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operationrofthc same, refereneebeing had to theacciimpanying drawings, making a partof this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved machine for felting hat-bodies.Figure 2, a transverse section taken in the plane :a: y of 1. Figure 3,a longitudinal side elevation. Figure 4, a View in detail of adjustingarrangement foii gearing. Figure 5, a view in detail ofjournal-box ofdriving-shaft of roller in a sliding-way of theninch-ine. Likeolettersin the dilereut guresmf the drawings indicate like parts. The naturebfmy invention consists in` the following improvements iu the constructiono" machines for "l" felting hatfbodies: First, diminishing the speeduofrevolution in each successive pair of rollersfrom the front or` feedingend of the machine to the rear, so far as may be found expedient, forthe purpose ot' compacting the material. This I effect either byslightly reducing the diameter of each successive pair of rollers, or,where all the rollers are of uniform diameter, by any proper adjustmentof the gearing ot' said rollers. Second, in the employment of a singleendless chain, in combination with toothed wheels upon the ends of twoseries of rollers in the place of cogged gearing, for the purpose ofirnpartinfT tbe required rotary movement. Third, placing the'journaLboXes of the driv'ingshaft in' sliding-waysto permit theadjustment offthe endless 4chain connecting said shaft with the severalrollers, and the combination therewith of suitable springs or weights tomaintain a constant tension of said chain. Fourth, extending thejournals oi' the lower rollers, so as to allow them lateral movementintheir hearings, and imparting acons'tant reciprocating` movement to eachin its bearings by 'means of cams upon the outer ends of its journalsworking against suitable 'tixed cam surfaces. Fitth, construetingithelower rollers which revolve successively with diminished speed, hollow,to be 'heated by passing ncurrent ot' steam through the same. Sixth,constructinnr'` a. reversing roller placed in the rear end of themachine to return the felted fabric to the front, with an auxiliaryroller placed over the same, to bear (thereon land operate conjointlytherewith. Y "l My improved machine is constructed cfa series otrollers,A. AfA, B B B, arranged horizontally in pairs,

the two in each pair being placed .one above the other. The journals ofthe upper rollers are supported insuitable boxes formed in plates C,which play'vertically in suitable grooves o'r ways formed in the frameof the machine, or between vertical standards D D, figs. lV and 5,arranged to support them, and which form part of ther frame. Weights EE, figs. l and 3, are provided tol rest upon these sliding plates C tobear down the upper rollers upon those beneath with such degree ofpressure as may he found expedient, these weights being kept in positionby upright rods a, iig. 3, projecting from the standards throughapertures in said weightsA The three last pair of rollers B B B are ofequal diameters, but each pair A A A in front of these are made successively to increase slightly in circumference. Each roller in themachine is provided with a toothed wheel, F,- secured upon the outer endof one of its journals, said toothed. wheels being placed alternatelyupon the upper and lower roller in cach pair on each side of the frame.Cams Zi 7J, fig. 2, are formed upon the outer end of each lower roller,either upon the extended journal or upon the face of the toothed wheelsecured thereon which ,bear against stationary pins or plates c c; theposition and inclination of the two cams upon the ends being reversed soas to cause in the `revolution of the roller a reciprocating movementthereof in its bearings. These lower rollers and their journals areformed hollow, as illustrated in tig. 2. One end of each is fitted toreceive at its i centre or axis, loosely but snugly, the nozzle of aVpipe, d, branching from a main steam pipe, G, placed for the purposealong each side of the frame of the machine, Whilst the other is leftopen to admit of the discharge of the steam and water condensedtherefrom. Steam is thus admitted to these lower rollers alternatelyfrom each side of the machine throughA the end ot' each roller whichcarries its toothed wheel. In the rea-r of the lower rollers, and in thesame axial plane therewith, is placed a di'i\'ing-shaft, H, providedwith toothed wheels at both ends similar to those upon the rollers.Endless chains K K, formed of square open links so proportioned as toengage fairly with the several toothed wheels I" F, are arranged on eachside to pass over and around the toothed wheels of the driving-shaft Ilat one ond and ot' thc lower roller or of an extra Wheel L, at theothenthe upper stretch oi' cach chain passing between the toothed wheelson, the upper and lower rollers engaging with the teeth of' each, whilstthe lower stretch lies free and disengaged below them,.as seen iniig. 1. Thus the motion eemmunicatetl to the driving-shaft H is readilyimparted to each of the rollers without the expensive and intricatetrainot' cogged wheels usually adopted. In order to keep the endlesschains K under proper tension, and yet allow them yto adopt themselvesto the varying vertical as well us the lateral movements of the rollers,thcjournalcen-io 2 -noxes of the driviugfshaft are arranged to slide inhorizontal ways or slots 71 L. lig. 4. Pivotcd levers M lll figs. 3 and4f, whose arms 'more in a vertical plane, swingl and hear against thejournal-boxes to push them out wardly in the ways li 7L, the pressurebeing obtained by means of springs N, attached to the upper" free endsof the arms. nstead of interposing levers to obtain the elastic tensionupon the chaimsi'irings may be secured to or combined directly with thesliding,journal-boxes. Au auxiliary reversing roller, O., is placed inthe rear of the operating rollers A B, in close proximity to the lastpair B thereof, with its axis in a plane midway between the ax'is of'said rollers. This roller is made to revolve in a direction opposite tothat of' the operating rollers. A second smaller'roller, P, is placedimmediately over it and left free to rest uponit. A vat of warm water isso arranfred beneath the machine as that the lower o )eratinsy rollersshall barel di therein and their surfaces i are thus kept continuallymoist when in use. lhey are at the same time kept heated to a propel'temperature by the steam made to pass through them. y I

In the operation et' the machine the hat-bodies areyfed iu between thetwo front rollers A A, which compress and pass them to the nextpair. Asthe first pain-A A, owing to their larger diameter, have a. more rapidmove? ment than the second, A A, the material is crowded and compressedor butted against the latter, and consequen'tly passes between them witha closer, more compact tissue; the same result is obtained in thepassage of the material from the second A A to the third pair, A A, ofrollers, andlmay be continued yet longer by inereasinfar the number ofrollers oi' diminishing diameters. 'lh-e last three pair, B i3, ofrollers are left oi' uniform diameter to inish completely, compactinijv`and condensing the fibres compressed by the ilrst series of rollers. Theconstant reeiprocatingmovement of the lower rollers in a directiontransverse to the movement oi' the t'elted material serves to give therequired rubbing and felting to the same as it passes over them. Whenthe hat-bodies pass from the last pair of rollers they butt against thereversing roller O, which, revolving` in an opposite direction, carriesthem immediately upwards, and, together with the small auxiliary rollerl* resting thereon, throws them back upon th'e upper rollers whoserevolutions serve to carry them to the front. The degree of pressureexerted ponthc material is regulated by means of the wei his bearingdown on the upper rollers, whilst the action rof the levers and springsM undy N upon the sliding journal-boxes of the driving-shaft maintainsautomatically a proper'adjustment of the endless chains K' to thevariation oi' the upper rollers, eauscd by the different thicknesses ofthe hat-bodies passed through the machine. As the butting or thickeningci' the i'elted hat-bodies is obtained in my machine by diminishing vthespeed in revolution of successive pairs of rollers, I contemplate anymodo of obtaining and adjusting the same, and do not limit myseli` tothe use ot' rollers oi' varying diameters, hut contemplate using rollersot' equal diameters, and retarding the revolution of successive pairsthereov by suitable combinations of cogged gearing, or'by diminishingthe number of teeth in the toothed \vhecls F, combined with an endlesschain, K, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or inany othersuitable manner. I contemplate also any suitable arrangement of cams 5bupon theI ends of the rollers to impart thereto thorequiredreciprocating movement, my invention having reference. to the use, inmachines for felting hat-bodies, of rollers having reciprocatingmovements in their hearings, independent o" the stationary frame whichsupports them however such reciprocating movements may be, impartedthereto.

'Having thus Tully described my improved. machine for fellinghat-bodies, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, isl u 1'. The combination and arrangement, in a machine forfelting hat-bodies, of twoor more pairs of rollers having a rotarymovement, when each successive pair revolves with a diminished speed,`all substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein sotforth.' y

The combination, us above, ot' two or more pairs o? rollers whosediameters-iso vary as that the circumference of each successive pairshall revolve with diminished speed, substantially in the manner and forthe purpose as herein 'set forth.

3. ,The combination, in a. fcltin machine, of a 'serios of pairs ofrollers, each pair of which has a lesser velocity than the precedingpair, with a series of pairs ot" rollers having a uniform velocity, asand for the purpose herein described.

4. The combination, in a 'felting machine, of a series oi' rollerssupported in a fixed `i'rume but one-h having an independfntly lateralplay in its bearings in the line of its axis, substantially as and forthe purpose herein described. I

5. imparting a lateral reciprocating movement to thc rollers of amachine -for 'felting haitbodies by means of cams ou the ends oi' saidrollers, or their journals bcn-ring against suitable cam surfaces, wheneach of said rollers hasfree play iudependei'itly ot" the others in theline of its axis, all substantially in the manner and for the purposeherein set forth.

6. The use ot`^a series ot' hollow rollers in a felting machine, withsuitable steam pipes for introducing steam into the same when saidrollers revolve successively with a diminished speed, substantially inthe manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

T. The combination of a reversing roller, placed centrally in front ofthe last paient" rollers in u Felting machine, with an auxiliary rollerplaced over the sume to bear thereon and operate conjoiutly therewith,substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

8. The combination oi' a single endless chain and toothed wheels with:two series of rollers in u. feltng machine, substantially as and forthe purpose herein described.

9. The combination of' suitable s rinus with the slidinfr carnal-boxesof the driviuc-shaft, and with au p C D D endless chain workin thereonall substantiall as and for the ur aose herein set forth. l, f P 1 JAMESWALBE it.

1Witnesses WILLIAM FITCH, Jnssn ZEP?.

